


Suprises come in multitude

by Thewhitestars



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, magic baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 08:44:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2303651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thewhitestars/pseuds/Thewhitestars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>True love. It's a wonderfull thing. Except when its not. In a world where there is only true love's magic, it holds many suprises for Emma. And not everybody is equally happy about them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kayryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayryn/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Surprises Come in Multitude](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2304602) by [Kayryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayryn/pseuds/Kayryn). 



“Not again!” Emma sighs in frustration looking at the pregnancy test in her hand.

Regina leans against the doorframe, a small smile on her lips, and Emma can’t help but think she’s profoundly proud of herself.

“Regina!” Emma exclaims, throwing down the test in the sink, her hands automatically covering her belly. The former Mayor moves to stand behind Emma, her hands circling around her waist and coming to rest over Emma’s. Regina nuzzles the blonde’s neck and presses a kiss to the side of it. 

“This,” Regina says, rubbing Emma’s stomach fondly, “Is not entirely my doing.” She raises dark eyebrows at the princess. The blonde huffs. She knows Regina is right. But it does not diminish the fact that this is the third positive pregnancy test in as many years. She loves Regina. She truly does, but a new pregnancy every year? Come on. She sighs, she can’t have anything normal in her life. Her parents and friends are all fairy tale characters, her wife is the once-Evil Queen. And now it seems she’s freakily fertile.

“Snow’s going to freak,” Emma mutters, toying with the hem of her shirt. Regina chuckles, earning an elbow in the side from Emma. “This isn’t normal, Regina!” Emma whines, turning around in Regina’s arms.

Regina smiles, burying her nose in the loose flowing curls, breathing in the flowery scent.

“It can’t be helped, you are true love’s child,” she whispers in Emma’s ear. Regina kisses her then. It’s not much more than a lingering peck but Emma hums her approval. 

When the curse broke Regina had regained her magic, but this time it was based on true love, the only available kind in this world. This world was inherently without magic. The magic Rumplestiltskin released was Snow and Charming’s true love in a bottle. Thus the dormant vestiges of Regina’s magic latched onto that magic. She had her magic back, but it was unpredictable and she had little control over it. The last bits of dark magic bound to her system, unwilling to leave and unwilling to properly mix with the magic of true love. 

That magic, combined with true love and true love’s child, well the results were interesting to say the least.

“I thought we were safe while I was on that anti-conception-thingy.” Emma turns from Regina’s embrace and picks up the test from the sink, a deep frown etched on her face, her mouth downturned and her lips a thin line. Regina’s face falls behind her. She frowns as she catches Emma’s eyes in the mirror, worried that maybe this is too much for Emma.

“I mean you and Blue spent months perfecting it. Blocking your magic or whatever it’s supposed to do.”

“We knew there was a possibility, Emma.” Regina hadn’t been entirely sure the magic wouldn’t be able to break through the barrier spell, but for half a year it seemed to work.

“I’m never having sex with you again,” Emma grunts. Regina lets out a snort and eyes her wife in amusement. She moves her arms around her again and leans her chin on Emma’s shoulder.

“We’ll figure something out. But for now, I’m happy.” Her hand moves over Emma’s stomach again, rubbing slow circles. 

“Of course you’re happy, you want an entire orphanage,” Emma sighs, pushing away from the sink. Regina kisses the blonde’s cheek. 

Regina is no longer Mayor or Queen. She’s content to raise her family. Ever since she was stripped of her power, she had been home, caring for her rapidly expanding family. 

Even though she’ll never admit it to anyone but Emma, and maybe Henry, she has never been more content or more at peace in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma fidgets with her keys in the green front door of her parent’s apartment. She’s supposed to pick up Vivian and Eliza after her work day. Snow offered to babysit so she and Regina could go on the date Emma has been planning for weeks.

Of course the date never took place; Emma was too busy freaking out over the new pregnancy. She’s starting to show already. Much earlier than with Henry or the girls. She knows she can’t hide it much longer. But she’s also not sure she’s ready to tell Snow about this new baby. Her parents are still struggling to conceive. Even the modern medicine of this world can’t explain why.

So Emma fidgets, feeling guilty for being a friggin’ baby machine. After scuffing her boot along the wall a couple of times, quickly wiping her shoe on her jeans since Regina threatened to put her on the couch if she sees one more pair of scuffed boots, but old habit are hard to break. Emma puffs out her cheeks and slides the key into the lock.

The apartment is quiet. Emma glances around spotting the trio on the couch. Both girls draped over the petite brunette who's out like a light. Emma smiles. She knows that feeling.

Silently she makes her way to the couch. Studying the faces of her sleeping daughters. She wonders briefly how the new baby will affect them.

The girls are a little less than a year apart. Vivien had been a huge surprise. A welcomed and happy surprise. She had done much to bring Snow and Regina even closer to the uneasy truce formed for Henry’s sake.

When Emma’s period didn’t start up a few months after Vivien’s birth, neither woman had been worried. But when Emma’s belly started rounding out again and the few pounds she’d put on during the pregnancy didn’t go away despite all the ‘greens’ Emma was grudgingly eating, both women sat on the bed in the master bedroom eyeing the test in Emma’s hand warily for the minute it took to turn bright pink. The test strip had already been a faint pink by the time Emma exited the bathroom and sat down on the bed.

Five and a half months later Eliza had been born. This time Emma had gone on the magic pills right away. The Blue Fairy would charge the little pills with a magical pulse to repel Regina’s. But it seemed this little lady found her way around the precautions her parents had taken.

Emma brushes a stray lock of dark blonde hair from her youngest daughter’s face. Her full lips wrapped around the little thumb in her mouth. She looks amazingly like Regina. Where Vivian had been a true mix, Eliza was a downright copy of her older mother. Only her hair was lighter, but even that was growing darker.

She cups the girl’s cheek. “Liza, baby, wake up.” The little girl stirs, pressing her cheek against her grandmother’s cardigan a little more firmly before her eyes flutter open. Dark eyes unfocused and sleepy, slipping closed again. Emma calls her name again and this time the girl registers her mother’s presence.

“Mommy!” The shout from the toddler wakes Snow and consequently, Vivian. Both girls wrap their arms around their mother as she lifts them from the couch, freeing Snow from the weight.  
“You’re back early,” Snow says yawning.

“Yeah, slow day. I figured Storybrooke wouldn’t be harmed by the Sheriff sitting around an hour less.” She snuggles with her daughters before putting Vivian down. The nearly three year old is less patient for snuggles lately, especially if it gets in the way of playtime with her favourite doll. Her youngest though is content to snuggle a little more and buries her face in Emma’s neck.

“And I wanted to talk to you about something,” Emma adds.

Snow sits up a little straighter. “Oh?”

Emma gives her mother a lopsided grin. “Yeah, but I think a diaper change is up first.” She scrunches her nose and points to Eliza with a little jerk of her head.

Snow gets up from the couch and folds the blanket over the armrest. “I’ll go make us some cocoa.” Emma nods and picks up the diaper bag from beside the couch. 

Emma has Vivien on her hip when Snow places a cup of freshly brewed coffee on the counter with a thud, right under Emma’s nose. The smell of the dark brew wafts up towards her overly sensitive nose, and Emma can literally feel her stomach turn. She shoves her daughter in Snow’s arms and races towards the small bathroom as fast as her feet can carry her. 

When she emerges, looking just a little less green, Snow is staring at her from the kitchen accusingly. Wringing the dish towel between her hands. “Oh, Emma.” 

Emma has the sense to look embarrassed. During all her pregnancies she had been surprisingly well. The only thing that made her run for the bathroom had been coffee. 

While she was addicted to the stuff when she wasn’t pregnant, Emma went as far as banning it from the house when she was.

“How did you know?” she sheepishly asks her mother, who is now washing the cup in the sink vigorously. Snow already opened the windows so the smell would dissipate faster, even though Emma still looks a little queasy.

“Regina has been into Granny’s for coffee every morning for the last few weeks,” Snow shrugs. “Besides you’re showing and I got tired of waiting for you to muster the courage.” She sounds a little angry. Hurt that her daughter is reluctant to confide in her. They had lost so many years already and Snow is hell-bent on catching up. Regina put quite the kink into that, the whole affair nearly ripping the fragile new mother-daughter bond to shreds.

Emma’s hand flies to her stomach, “I am?” She soothes the fabric of her shirt over her belly. She knows she’s starting to show. Regina told her as much, as did her favorite jeans. But she really didn’t think it was that noticeable.

The schoolteacher shrugs. “Only a little. I’m your mother, I’m supposed to notice. I don’t think anyone else has noticed it so far.” Snow looks up in contemplation, “Well, except for Red, she smelled it.”

Emma squeaks, “She smelled it?

Snow taps her nose. “Werewolf senses. She said you smelled different, baby different.”

Emma tries to wrap her mind around that titbit of information while Snow finishes washing the dishes. Emma can see she’s working up to something, tension taut between her shoulder blades, but she’s saved by her daughter tugging on her sleeve.

“Mommy, drink?”

“Yeah, Pumpkin. I’ll get you something,” Emma gets up and reaches for a sippy cup on the shelf.

Snow looks at Emma from the side of her eyes. Turning towards her daughter at last, she says as gently as she can, “I won’t break. I could have handled it. I just wish you would tell me sooner.”

Emma sighs as she screws the top on Eliza’s sippy cup. “I know.” She crosses her arms and leans against the fridge, the cup dangling from her hand where her daughter plucks it from her fingers. 

“I just… feel bad.” She throws her arms up in the air. “I’m not even sure if we’re ready for another baby. It’s ridiculous right? Every time I sleep with Regina is a risk.” Snow flinches a little, a faint pink blush staining her cheeks.

Emma looks sheepishly at her mother, “Sorry. Sometimes I forget.” She pushes off the counter and slumps down in the bar stool. “It’s just. You guys are fighting so hard to have another baby. I blink and poof baby.” She waves her hand downwards with a flick.

Snow settles down on the stool on the opposite side of the bar, gently clasping her hands over Emma’s. “I know. But you shouldn’t be worrying about that.”

“Yeah, but it’s kinda right in your face.” Emma says apologetically. 

“Emma” she squeezes her hands for emphasis. “I love Henry, and the girls. If David and I never have another child, I’m more than content to be a grandmother.” 

Emma smiles thinly. “Thanks, Snow.” She looks at the brunette sitting across from her, both their eyes a little bleary. And in that moment Emma can imagine a little bit what it would have been like, to have had Snow as a mom. And so after a moment she adds: ”Mom.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Can’t we do something?” Emma’s hand trails over Regina’s hip. 

“Do what, Dear?” Regina asks, too distracted by Emma’s hands to concentrate on the blonde’s train of thought.

“For Mary… for Snow,” Emma corrects herself. Her hand stills, resting lightly on Regina’s waist.

The brunette sighs. Talking about her former step-daughter was not what she envisioned for the night. She draws the sheets up over her body and settles on her side, facing Emma. She’s not going to have this conversation while naked. 

“I can look into it. But it would mean using magic.” Her fingers fidget with the edge of the sheet. “We’d have to ask the fairies.”

Emma smiles at her wife, “Thank you.” She knows how much she’s asking from the witch. Former witch. Her relationship with the fairies is tenuous. 

Regina kisses Emma’s neck, one hand floating down to her breast and beginning to tease the nipple to attention. Emma turns her head to give Regina better access.

“Regina?” The brunette moves her kissing lower, along her sternum, and then the top of her stomach. “Hhmm?” Regina murmurs against her navel. “What are you – God!” Emma gasps, “Doing?” Regina reaches the tops of her thighs, pushes the sheets away from Emma’s body and runs her tongue down the inside of Emma’s thigh.

“I’m trying to finish what you started,” Regina smirks against Emma’s thigh, her warm breath wafting over the blonde’s heated folds. “Fuck,” Emma groans, her hands fisting the bedding when Regina takes her first taste, her tongue slowly sliding between her wife’s wet folds.

Emma arches her back when Regina sucks her clit into her mouth, her tongue flicking gently over the sensitive bud. She looks at Emma from underneath her lashes when she slides two fingers up inside her. Emma’s knuckles turn white for a second as she tries to stifle her groan.

The Regina pulls away and sits up on her knees. “What... what are you doing?” Emma pants, confusion wrinkling her brow.

“Taking advantage of the situation,” Regina smirks while sliding off the bed and into the walk-in closet. She returns with their Feeldoe in her hand, her lips forming a seductive smile as she stalks towards Emma.

“I imagine that you won’t let me touch you for months when the baby is born.”

Emma huffs on the bed, “You got that right.”

“So,” Regina says kneeling between Emma’s legs, “I’m going to take my pleasure while I still can,” she purrs as she leans over her wife, kissing her while she pushes the short end of the dildo into herself. Emma takes in the sight before her when Regina sits back on her heels. The ridiculously bright purple toy jutting out from between Regina’s thighs, her dark nipples hard, her cheeks flushed.

“Get off the bed,” Emma suddenly says urgently, flipping the sheets to the side. Regina raises her eyebrow but follows the blonde’s instructions without complaining. Emma sits up on her knees, kissing Regina deeply, her tongue sliding in her mouth, tasting her wife before she turns around on her knees, looking at Regina over her shoulder. 

Regina grins and pulls Emma closer by her hips. “My, my, eager aren’t we? Ms. Mills,” she drawls as she positions the toy at Emma’s entrance. 

“Swan,” Emma starts to correct, but the word is lost in the long groan she emits when Regina pushes in without the expected usual teasing. Regina starts out with long forceful thrusts that take Emma’s breath away. Before long Regina starts climbing towards her own climax and the thrusts become shorter and more erratic.

Her hand tangles in Emma’s hair, wrapping the long golden strings around her hand and pulling Emma’s head back sharply. The younger woman moans, thousands of tiny pinpricks racing along her scalp, heightening her pleasure. She leans on her elbow, her other hand seeking out the bundle of nerves between her legs. Her fingers splay around the warm sticky silicone being driven into her. She moves her fingers back to her clit. It takes no more than a few quick hard rubs and she’s falling over the abyss, her muscles tightening before she collapses onto the bed.

Regina leans over her, breathing hard. Small beads of sweat pearling on her back. When Emma has finally regained her breath she turns in the brunette’s arms, kissing her sweetly on the lips. “Wow...” she mumbles against her wife’s lips.

Regina chuckles, “You always say that.” Emma rolls her eyes and pushes against her chest and Regina backs up, allowing the other woman to stand up. “Now it’s my turn,” Emma grins as she kneels between Regina’s legs, pushing at her thighs to make her sit down on the edge of the bed.

“Emma,” Regina begins. She’s never been really comfortable with this act, even now. But Emma shushes her gently and leans down to kiss the tip of the dildo, her eyes never leaving Regina’s.

“I want to, Regina.” 

She wants to refuse again, but then Emma’s mouth is taking her in and the movement tugs at the end of the toy still imbedded in her. “Oh,” Regina squeaks, and Emma smirks around the toy, her tongue laving lines up and down, her hand giving little tugs.

Regina’s hands sink into the pillow, clutching the material while she grits her teeth, desperate not to come so fast. Emma’s eyes twinkle when she takes in the tortured look on her wife’s face, knowing exactly what she’s doing to the other woman. Regina grits her teeth again, a little angry at herself that she’s so aroused by the sight.

When Emma relents, just a little, Regina takes the opportunity to drag Emma back on top of her, the soft swell of her rounded belly pressing into her own. Emma grimaces a little because she’s just far along enough for this to start being uncomfortable. She pulls up her knees on either side of Regina’s hips, the toy pressed in between them. 

Emma leans down to kiss Regina again, the other woman arching against her, hand grabbing her ass and squeezing. Emma’s mouth trails over her neck, sucking, nibbling her way down to her breast. She takes a hard, sensitive nipple in her mouth and starts flicking at the bud with the tip of her tongue, holding the flesh of her breast in her mouth with her teeth. Regina turns her head into the pillow to muffle the long moan that bubbles up inside her.

Emma releases the bud and quickly kisses the other before she snakes her hand down and holds the dildo up so she can sink on to it. Regina opens her eyes, having shut them during Emma’s assault on her nipple.

She watches as her wife lowers herself onto the toy and screws her eyes shut again, letting out a breathy moan. Emma stays like that for a moment, then suddenly she starts moving. The movement shocks and rocks right back into Regina’s clenching pussy. She holds onto Emma’s hips as the first orgasm rolls through her and her fingers clench tightly onto slender hips.

Afterwards, when Emma’s cradled in Regina’s arms fast asleep, Regina combs her fingers through the blonde curls. She likes it this way; long and unruly. Her hand then drifts to her wife’s stomach. As soon as her hand settles she can feel the small form inside move towards her hand. Their daughter snuggles against her hand much in the same way her other mother does. Regina closes her eyes and lets herself be lulled to sleep by the warmth of Emma’s skin and the steady breathing pattern from her body next to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma groans when the next contraction hits her. They’re close together now. The nurse working at the foot of the bed says something to Regina, but the words barely register to Emma. She is contained in her own world of pain. She doesn’t need to hear the nurse to know the baby is nearly ready. She can feel it in the way the pain has changed, lower in her back. She can feel the urge to push become a little stronger with each wave of pain. Regina soothes her hair back from where it was stuck to her forehead. “Not much longer now, dear.”

Emma nods and breathes through her nose harshly. She rides out the next few waves until the nurse comes back with two others in tow. She nods to the sweaty blonde, “Any time now, Emma. When you’re ready.”

Giving birth was easier now. Not the gruelling torture that Henry had been. The long blinding white hours she spent cuffed to the bed, the guard in the corner with a cup of coffee that made her sick the entire time. 

Vivian had been nearly as bad, but with Regina by her side it had been much less traumatic. This time, she held her baby girl in her arms right away, the cord still connecting them. She had watched Regina cutting the cord with a smile, instead of looking away from the baby to the sterile white wall and a strange doctor efficiently snipping the last tie between them.

Eliza had been a hurricane, three weeks early, quick and painful. There had been only a few minutes to hold her before she was placed in an in incubator and wheeled off to the ped’s department. There were a few moments where they feared Eliza would have to be taken to Boston’s children’s hospital.

This one is the middle ground, and Emma finds it much easier to endure. When she feels the pressure building again, she braces herself. The nurse doesn’t need to guide her through it anymore, and she doesn’t. Relying on Emma’s experience, she is a quiet source of power next to her, and Emma appreciates that. Her body knows what is expected and Emma starts pushing. Regina fusses with the sheets and grips Emma’s arm, frustrated she can’t help her wife more.

All it takes are four firm pushes and their new baby is born. The nurse places her on Emma’s chest. The newborn opens her dark eyes slowly, blinking against the light, even though the delivery room is dimmed per Emma’s request. The light is still too foreign on the little one’s eyes. 

Emma sighs and she looks to the side where Regina is watching them with tears in her eyes. 

“Marie,” Emma says hopefully.

Regina nods, kissing her wife on her cheek, “If that’s what you want.”

Emma wanted to name their third daughter after her mother, but Regina had balked. True, they weren’t arch enemies anymore, but naming their child after her… well that was just one bridge too far.

For months Emma had pulled the puppy eyes out of the closet, but Regina refused to budge. They had come up with alternatives, good alternatives. Even if Emma had tried to sneak in every variation of Mary she could find. But now, with Emma’s hopeful eyes on her, Regina can’t find it in her to refuse.

Emma’s smile lights up her entire face. “Thank you,” she whispers and touches her forehead to her wife’s, forming a small circle with their child.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma bites her lip and glares at the coffee maker. She desperately wants coffee but yesterday she could barely hold her cup down. Regina had looked at her worriedly before Emma braved a smile and downed the rest of the drink in one big gulp.

Now, she was afraid to even turn it on. Regina would come down any minute now. Two of the girls in tow. And there was no way she could hide her nausea this time.

But, it was impossible right? There was no way she was pregnant again.

“It’s not going to turn itself on, dear.” Regina says from the doorway, an amused smile curving her lips. Emma scowls, no. No way. She’d just had too many fried eggs at breakfast. Maybe a stomach bug, but she was not pregnant. She inwardly stomps her foot.

Confidently, she walks up to the expensive Italian coffee maker, hits the start button viciously and glares at her wife. “See? Nothing wrong.”

Emma is hunched over the sink not ten seconds after that, with Regina standing behind her, holding back her hair.

“Congratulations, dear,” Regina’s prim smile is only aggravating Emma more. “I think we can skip the store test this time, hmmm?”

“Fuck you,” Emma shoots at her before grabbing a glass and filling it with water.

“That’s a bad word, mommy.” Eliza lisps from the doorway, her teddy bear clutched in her arms.

Henry quickly covers his sister’s ears. “Come on, let’s go munchkin. I put on those silly bears you like.” He pushes her to the sitting room where the tv is set on her favorite cartoon. 

He glances at his moms over his shoulder. “Congratulations? – again?” Regina quickly covers Emma’s mouth before another foul word can leave it. 

“Thank you dear.” Emma just growls against the hand pressed to her mouth. She’ll talk to him later. Apologize. He’ll grin and make her squirm for a bit and then they’ll spend the night playing video games on his new console. Emma still doesn’t understand how it is he is so okay with all of this. She knows she isn’t. But somehow the teen takes it all in stride and greets every new family member with an enormous smile. 

**

Regina traces the fragile white lines on the sonogram in her hands.

A half-smile tugs on her lips while her fingers float from the blurry blob on the right to the one on the left. The capital ‘B’ floating boldly above it. “Baby B” the nurse had said while typing the letters over the still. Emma’s mouth was still wide open when the nurse pushed the sonogram in her hands.

“Twins,” the blonde sheriff had squeaked, her eyebrows rising high into her hairline. Regina had plucked the image from her hand and carefully placed in in her purse before Emma’s fingers could wrinkle it further. Instead she gripped the white sheet tucked in the waistband of her pants, to protect them from the gel used for the sonogram, her knuckles white as she’d wiped her still flat stomach furiously. 

It still amazed Regina. That they could make this happen. No matter how many times it happened, she’d never tire of it. But Emma did. Emma, who had so many problems with being tied down.

Regina always wanted to be a mother. When she was a little girl she would lie in the grass, in the spare moments she could escape her duties or tutoring, and imagine her future family. She would have a handsome husband, of course, a stable chock full of the best horses in the country and a gaggle of children. Regina hated being an only child. She asked her mother for a sibling once, but the withering glare she’d received was harsh enough to crack china, and Regina never asked again.

Her marriage to Leopold never gave her children. He rarely visited her bed when they were first married. His interest in her waned quickly. Leopold wasn’t looking for someone to warm his bed. He had enough willing women around not to bother with his frigid wife. She was to be Snow’s mother, and nothing more.

So this thing with Emma. It was wonderful, she welcomed every baby they made together. And sometimes she wondered if she would have turned into the Evil Queen if she’d had her flock of children, or even one.

She had been so very, very lonely.

Henry had redeemed her in so many ways, even before the curse broke. Now, she can’t imagine ever being something other than a mom. Snow was pushing more and more of the town’s paperwork towards her, after finally realizing Regina is the one who knows Storybrooke best. She still refuses to hand over the title, and to be honest, Regina doesn’t even want it.

But Emma, Emma is a free spirit. And even though this large family is a gift she never knew she wanted, it still frightened her. Regina knows Emma is approaching the breaking point. She has been talking to Blue about finding a solution, but they have gotten nowhere.

Regina’s fingers return to tracing the outline of their new babies. Twins. A radiant smile breaks out on her face.

**

“I’m afraid I have no other options Emma,” Blue says. “It was the most powerful spell we could think of. I fear that if this didn’t hold back Regina’s magic, no other spell in this world will.”

Emma slouches down in Mother Superior’s visitor’s chair. “Great, so I’m stuck like this forever,” she grumbles.

“Well you could always…” But Blue hesitates to finish that sentence when Emma glares at her like she proposed to use one of their children for an unholy ritual.

An uncomfortable silence stretches between them as both women search for an answer, one they haven’t thought of before. 

“Wait!” Emma sit up in the chair suddenly as the thought strikes her, “You said in this world.” 

Blue nods. She knows where this is going. 

“So that means that over there you could put a stop to this?”

“But of course,” Blue answers like Emma just asked the dumbest question ever. “In the Enchanted forest we would have a variety of magical energies at our disposal. Regina would be able to control her magic better, and we could easily find an opposite energy to weaken the effects of true love’s magic.”

Emma throws her hands into the air, “So, no more pregnancies?” She eyes the former nun warily.

“No,” Blue folds her hands in front of her. “Well, unless you wanted another one.”

But Emma barely hears her anymore; she’s already up and out of her seat and striding towards the door, throwing a hasty goodbye over her shoulder as she exits.

The nun tuts at the Savior’s rude behavior. She imagines Emma would have made her tutors’ lives hell if she had grown up in the Enchanted Forest. 

She might not be able to help them, but she really does hope Emma’s actually onto something. She shudders at the thought of even more children created out of this particular pairing. 

**

“You owe me,” Emma plants her hands firmly on the polished counter, her upper body angled towards the man behind it.

Gold folds his hands carefully over his cane, his stance less aggressive but the casualness in it intimidating. “And what do you think I owe you, Dearie?”

“I brought you your son,” She leans in a little more. His aura still spooks her. There is a darkness lingering around this man, like the air is thick around him. And though it’s unpleasant, Emma isn’t about to let him intimidate her, so she leans towards it. Driving herself into his personal space.

“No more than was expected of you, when you fulfilled your end of the deal.” A cold smile creeps over his face, “I fail to see what it is I owe you, Ms. Swan. Bringing him to me was merely part of the deal.”

“No, the deal was for me to get him to talk to you. And I did. But we both know that Neal had no intention of staying around any longer than that. He stayed because of me.”

Gold’s face contorts as she spits the words out. ”Don’t flatter yourself, Sheriff, he stayed for Henry.” Emma can see her jab stings in the way his body language alters slightly. It’s part of why she is such a good bounty hunter. She can read people, even if they are good at hiding it. Gold hides it well, but even he has his tells.

“Exactly,” the blonde smirks. She leans back, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I am his access point, because Regina will incinerate him on sight. So either you help us, or I slap a restraining order on Neal. And believe me,” Emma pauses, before delivering the final blow. “There is no court in America that won’t honor it.”

Emma isn’t too sure about that but she was guessing Gold didn’t know that much of the American justice system, and he couldn’t take the chance that she was bluffing, which she was.

Sensing his hesitance she presses on. “I was eighteen when Henry was born, barely. Neal’s ID said twenty seven back then. Do the math, Gold.” Emma shrugs, “Statutory rape is a pretty major offense.”

Gold slams his cane on the counter as he leans over it. “My boy didn’t rape you.”

Emma nods, “We know that. But the court doesn’t, and it won’t matter. I was a minor. A troubled orphan. The court will judge that he took advantage of me and deny him the right to see his son. With no reason to stay here, how often will you see Neal, Gold?”

“What is it you want, Ms Swan?” Gold’s sneer is vicious.

“A way back. True Love’s kiss broke the curse, but it didn’t bring us back. How do we do it?”

“My, I didn’t know you were so eager to return to your birth land.” He glances down to her stomach meaningfully. “Much less advanced medical care there.”

“That’s none of your business,” Emma bounces back. He doesn’t need to know the reason she’s seeking his knowledge. That she is tired of being pregnant. That this blessing is starting to become a burden. She loves her children. She does with all her heart. And she loves Regina. But she remembers from all the group homes she’s stayed in; the more children, the less attention. Even though Emma knows there is enough to go around between her, Regina and her parents, somewhere it has to stop. It’s not a fate she wishes on her children.

And if it’s really the last resort, Emma will stay away from Regina’s bed. But only if it’s the last resort. Because they have some of the most amazing sex. And she’s not really willing to give that up just yet. (Even if it’s not as often as she would like with all the babies in the house.)

Gold picks his cane up from the counter and stands to lean on it, his hands folded over the curve, his stance wide. “It’s easy, Dearie. I’m surprised your darling wife hasn’t figured it out yet.”

When Emma isn’t goaded by his comment, Gold leans forward. “True love.”

Emma guffaws. “Right. There is that nasty thing again. Well we had true love’s kiss, it broke the curse remember. In fact, I have three children at home because of ‘true love’. So don’t come at me with that crap again.”

Gold smiles. It’s eerie. The smug grin he produces when he knows he has the thing you want, and he’s dangling it in front of you. Enjoying every ounce of power he can get from it.

“Well, obviously that’s not enough of it.” At Emma’s confused frown he elaborates. “The dark curse was very powerful. In fact, the most powerful of its kind.” He twirls his hand in the air. “The amount of grief and dark power it took to enact it was immense. Therefore to break it you would need a similar amount of its counterpart.”

He turns and pulls a piece of parchment from the drawer beneath the counter, waving over it once, and slowly words light up only to dim quickly again. He rolls up the scroll and ties it with a piece of string. “Give this to Her Majesty; she’ll know what to do with it.”

Emma reaches for the scroll, but before she can grab it Gold pulls it back, “There is a condition.”

Emma huffs, rolling her eyes, “Of course there is.”

“I want you to make sure Baelfire is in town when you enact this. I want him with us when we go back.”

Emma scowls, “You know I can’t make him stay. Even with Henry as leverage. I’m pretty sure he’s not too keen on going back.”

Rumple leans forward again, tapping the scroll against the counter. “This is why you aren’t going to tell him. If he as much as senses there is a solid plan, he’ll run again. So you,” He points the spell at the Sheriff, “Will keep quiet. And you won’t tell the boy either, he’ll spoil everything in a second.”

“Hey!” Emma starts, even though she knows he’s right. Henry is terrible at keeping secrets. Well fairytale secrets, he kept that porn stash hidden pretty well. But that gave the Imp no right to talk about her son that way.

Gold just holds out the scroll. “Do we have a deal?”

Emma scowls again for good measure, but takes the parchment from his extended hand anyway.

“Deal.”

Emma turns to leave, but with her hand on the doorknob a thought strikes her and she turns around “You knew this all along. The solution,” she states angrily.

Gold merely smiles smugly again. “Just take it, dearie, or I might change my mind.”

Emma cocks her head, “Why?” she challenges. “Why keep us all here? You knew we were searching for a way back. What’s in it for you?” She pauses, and then a thought strikes her. “Or what wasn’t?”

When Gold doesn’t answer her question Emma stomps out of the shop, her hand tightening on the delicate parchment.

Gold watches her leave silently. He wanted his son. He needed to make sure he would come with them to the Enchanted forest. He needed Baelfire to bond with his son. Now he knew for certain he wouldn’t run. Baelfire would stick around Emma and Henry, and that way he would always be able to find his boy. That was why he waited. And now he just needed them to perform the spell he couldn’t.

His love for Belle was true, but it alone wasn’t strong enough to bring them back. He needed the Charmings, all of them to perform the powerful ritual. Now, the perfect opportunity was laid in his hands. Let the blonde sheriff think she had the upper hand. As long as he got what he wanted. 

** 

Emma paces the length of the kitchen, “I don’t trust him.” She munches on a carrot while Regina sits at the table perusing the scroll in her hands. She has a strange love for orange foods lately, carrots, peaches, pumpkin, cheetos... As long as it is that particular color. The week before she couldn’t stomach anything. So Emma happily munches on the carrot, content on actually eating again, even if it is greens, well, ‘oranges’.

“You shouldn’t,” her wife responds, her lips pursed in concentration. “Nothing Rumplestiltskin does is trustworthy. He always has an ulterior motive. It’s just a matter of finding out what it is this time.” She releases the edges of the parchment, letting it roll up on itself. Tapping the paper on the table she says, “I’ll visit the fairies tomorrow, but I believe this is genuine. At least I can’t find any malicious meaning behind the wording.”

Emma sits down on the table and kisses Regina gently. “Be careful. I’d rather stay here than put anyone in danger.” Regina cups Emma’s cheek and presses a kiss of her own on her lips, long and lingering. Emma knows Regina has no desire for the Enchanted Forest. But she also knows Regina would do anything for her. It’s still strange to know someone would sacrifice anything for her. She’s deeply grateful for that, but it also scares her to death.

Emma fidgets with the handle of Regina’s teacup for a while. She’s not fond of tea, but coffee is out of the question these days. Another reason to return to the old world; she can drink coffee in her own home without sending her wife running for the bathroom. There is a steady stash of mints in Regina’s bag because even the smell of a guilty cup of coffee on her breath from Granny’s will earn her a night on the couch. Emma claims it’s just the smell, but Regina suspects she’s also just a little bit rancorous about the whole coffee ordeal.

“Regina?” Emma asks tentatively.

Regina looks up, concerned by her wife’s unusually timid voice.

“Can we wait?” Emma says, avoiding Regina’s questioning stare. She pushes back her hair. “I mean, until the twins are born?” She meets the brunette’s eyes at last.

“Twins are a complication on their own, and they’re often premature. I would hate myself if something were to happen to them because we couldn’t wait to get back,” Emma says in a single breath.

Regina takes Emma’s hand and strokes it with her thumb.

“Of course we’ll wait, if that’s what you want. Even if you decide you don’t want to go at all, and consider the other option, that would be fine too dear.”

“No!” Emma’s eyes go wide. “No,” she says softer. “That’s not… I mean, that’s like the last thing we’ll do ok? Because there is no way I’m giving up. You know,” She waves her hand between them.

Regina smiles at her rambling wife and pulls her in for a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina looks extremely uncomfortable at best. She knows Gold has a penchant for making her suffer, but he would pay for his. Oh, he would. She was going to fillet him with a blunt knife, kill him and then find a way to resurrect him and then do it all over again. 

“Regina?” Emma’s voice pulls her from her murderous thoughts.

The blonde looks at her worriedly. “Are you ok?”

Regina holds Emma’s hand in her own and smiles. “I am. I was just contemplating my revenge.”

Emma eyes widen in alarm. “Don’t! I mean that’s what got us here in the first place. You need to think happy thought right now.”

Regina looks to her side where Snow is being enveloped in a hug by David. He’s probably whispering nonsensical romantic things into her ears. Regina’s lip curls up in derision. She shudders with the thought of what is coming.

Emma quickly finishes the last of the preparations and takes a long object wrapped in cloth from her backpack. 

“It’s time,” Emma announces. She’s spent all morning meticulously forming the circle for the ritual. In the spot where they first appeared. The place where they entered this world, where they are supposed to perform the ritual.

Regina shivers, she can still feel some of the residue of the dark curse here. This is where all her hatred spilled into the world. And this is where she must confess her love. This is where she must forgive Snow. Another shiver runs along her spine.

Gold’s instructions were as simple as they were terrifying. To return to the Enchanted forest, to negate the dark curse, Regina needs to forgive the one who instigated the casting of the curse. She needs to purge her heart of the hate, the resentment she feels for Snow.

Snow comes to stand before her and holds out her hand, a gentle smile on her lips. Regina turns to Emma who unfolds the soft cloth protecting the object and places Regina’s sharp ritual knife in her hands.

Regina takes Snow’s offered hand and places the point of the dagger on her palm. Making eye contact with the petite brunette she draws the blade over her palm, drawing bright red blood. Regina watches it bubble up for a moment before she hands the knife to Snow.

She winces involuntarily as the younger woman drags the sharp edge over her hand. The sharp pain is nothing compared to what she has endured in the past, but living in Storybrooke has made her soft in many ways.

Snow gives the dagger to Emma who wraps it in a soft cloth and passes it to David. Then, both women clasp each other’s hand, pressing the wounds together, and Emma winds a length of white silk around their hands, binding them together.

“I,” Regina starts. She looks at Emma, who nods encouragingly. Regina swallows hard as she sees worry flying over Emma’s face. She rolls her shoulders and faces Snow again. She closes her eyes and inhales deeply, letting the smells and sounds of the forest roll over her. When she opens her eyes she looks her former nemesis in the eyes and says clearly, her voice carrying in the open space, “I forgive you.”

Nothing.

Nothing happens. Well maybe not nothing. For a moment their hands started glowing only to die down right away. But no lightshow, no sparks and more importantly, no portal.

Regina looks at Emma worriedly. Emma’s mouth is set in a grim line. “Why isn’t it working? Gold said I just needed to forgive her,” Regina says, her voice pitching up. Worry gnawing at her stomach.

But Emma is looking at their hands intently. “Say it again,” she orders, her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

“The scroll, it said I need to forgive.” 

“There!” Emma shouts, and Regina looks down at her hand and she briefly sees a flicker of light between their bound hands.

“I forgive you,” Regina says again, watching the light flicker into life again. She repeats it, like a mantra, but the light keeps dying as soon as the last word passes her lips.

Regina lets out a frustrated growl. “Why isn’t it enough!”

“Maybe you haven’t really forgiven me,” Snow offers. Her tone is much more indignant than it has any right to be.

“Oh please,” Regina scoffs. “If you want to know what I haven’t forgiven you for, it’s for burning Vivian.”

“That was an accident!” Snow yells outraged. “I can’t help it that she started walking just when I left the room.”

“You should never have had any hot beverages around her in the first place.” Regina snaps, high spots appearing on her cheeks. She can feel her blood starting to boil.

“She was nowhere near the table when I went to the bathroom! How could I know she would start walking right then, and walk all the way around the table. I was gone for two minutes.” Snow defends.

“It doesn’t matter how long you were gone, you should have put her in the playpen.” Regina’s blood boils thinking back to the moment she got the call from a frantic Snow, with Vivian’s screams blotting out much of the conversation.

Snow opens her mouth to protest, but instead she says something unexpected: 

“You’re right.”

Snow inhales deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. “I never admitted it, because I’ve felt too guilty about what happened. But you’re right. I should have put her in the play pen.”

Regina releases the breath she was holding. “Thank you.” she says to Snow. “That’s really all I wanted to hear. But I stayed angry because you kept defending yourself.” A infinitely small knot unties itself in Regina’s stomach.

“Uh guys.” Emma says. She looks pointedly down at their joined hands and Regina gasps when she sees the dim but steady glow.

“It’s working!” Snow cries excitedly. “Let’s try again.”

**

Though the process so far has been cathartic, Regina grows frustrated with their progress. 

“There is something missing. An element Gold has kept back.” Regina says tiredly. She shivers, cold is slowly overtaking her body. It’s early autumn and besides the emotional fatigue, the cut in her hand keeps steadily bleeding. It’s not much, but one drip at a time a small puddle is forms underneath their joined hands. Snow’s color is closer to her namesake than she feels comfortable with.

“It’s not enough to power the portal,” Snow says quietly. “Because I have to forgive you too.”

She looks up from their hands at Regina. “I have never forgiven you.” She starts. “For everything you did in the Enchanted forest. Running me out of the castle, making me a fugitive in my own country.” Snow scrunches up her nose. “Making me live in the forest.” And Regina feels a small sliver of satisfaction run through her. Snow has always pretended she was perfectly at home in the woods, even though Regina has suspected the spoiled princess had far more trouble adapting to her new environment than she let on at the time, it is still nice to know she hated it. But perhaps this is not the time to gloat openly about that little fact.

Snow drones on about all the things she resents Regina for. And the list is long. Far longer than Regina’s ever was. But then again Snow never held a grudge as well as Regina has.

Steadily the light between them grows in intensity and warmth until it’s bright and her hands don’t feel quite as numb anymore.

“This is it,” Emma whispers. “Regina, you have to finish it.” She smiles at Regina and the darker woman swallows heavily. Snow’s looking at her expectantly, an encouraging smile on her mouth. 

Regina opens her mouth to form the words, but they are stuck halfway down her throat. Like thick acrid smoke, and she’s choking on them. Her throat tightens and she can’t breathe. Panic rises in her chest like a tidal wave, her vision blurs the world around her untill all she can see is a small girl in a pretty white dress smiling at her while holding a red, red heart in her hand. Blood drips down her small fingers and little Snow just keeps smiling. 

Regina’s knees buckle and she sags into the moist forest floor, dragging Snow with her. She’s hyperventilating now and she tries to yank her hands free. Pulling desperately until a warm body pushes against her back and steady hands cover her own.

Emma’s voice is in her ear chanting her name, her nose rubbing gently against her cheek. Slowly, slowly she comes down and her vision clears a little, until the little girl disappears and is replaced by her adult counterpart. Tears blur her vision but the darkest edges are slowly receding everytime Emma says her name. Grounding her.

“I can’t.” She finally manages to choke out.

“You can,” Emma breathes into her ear. “No, no I can’t.” Her head is shaking from left to right and her whole body sagging back against Emma, searching for the balming calm that is Emma’s presence.

“You can,” Emma says more firmly this time. Her hands slide further around her own, wrapping them securely around her mother’s. Regina’s hands are slippery from the blood but Emma holds them in place even when Regina tries to pull away again. “Because she gave you Henry, and me. And Vivian and Eliza.” Regina’s body shudders with the sobs wracking her system but Emma continues talking into her ear, her arms wrapped firmly around her body. Encasing her in their own safe bubble. “And Marie, and the twins. She hurt you terribly yes, but without her I wouldn’t have you.” Regina shudders again.

It hurts, letting go. For such a long time pain and hate was all she had. She shivers violently while she works through it, Daniel’s face flashing in front of her.

Daniel’s face just before he kissed her for the first time. His warm gentle eyes searching her own. 

His face as she held him dying in her arms. Her mother standing over them like a behemoth. Her mother telling her love is weakness.

Daniel’s face in the stables when he told her to love again. Her heart is ripped to shreds as she kills him again, and again, and again.

Regina screams and screams until she is hoarse. A darkness erupts from her chest and it swirls around them until it gathers in an angry storm above their heads. The light around their bound hands burns so bright it hurts to look at it.

Then, the world stops for a moment. Silence reigns in the forest and Regina can’t move. Her eyes find the young woman kneeling before her and the silence settles inside her. It’s then that she can finally say the words. 

“I forgive you.”

A bright beam shoots up from where their hands are joined and with a deafening crack the portal opens.


	7. Chapter 7

Emma pushes Regina against the door as soon as they are through it. Kissing her desperately, fingers scrambling along the countless impossibly tiny buttons of Regina’s corset.

“What are you doing?” Regina gasps when Emma attacks her neck with an enthusiasm she hasn’t had the pleasure of experiencing for a while.

“It’s the first time I’ve had you alone all week.” Emma sighs against her neck, her tongue darting out and tracing a line up to her ear where she whispers breathily, “I’m going to fuck you till you scream.”

Regina moans as a hot shiver runs down her spine and heat pools low in her belly.

“And the best part.” Emma pants as she rips away her mouth and impatiently starts undoing the tiny buttons. “This time, no more babies.” She freezes in her movement for a second, looking at her wife through narrowed eyes. “Right?”

Regina nods fervently and pulls the blonde against her again, crashing their lips together again.

Emma’s fingers pluck at the corset fruitlessly and Regina pushes her fingers away before she rips the garment out of frustration. 

Years of experience have the corset off in no time and Emma is kissing Regina again before the skirt has had the time to slide to the floor. 

Emma’s hands grabs Regina’s ass and she pulls her against her. “Bed,” Regina manages to gasp out between hot, wet kisses. 

Emma maneuvers them to the queen sized bed, lowering her wife to the soft bedding before she shucks her riding leathers and crawls on top of her. 

Regina nips at Emma’s bottom lip playfully before sliding her tongue in and finally tasting her wife properly. Her hands slide in Emma’s tunic and she tugs the loose garment over her head before letting it fall on the floor beside the bed. 

Regina sucks one of Emma’s pink nipples into her mouth, teasing it with her tongue until it’s straining. Then, she switches to the other side and repeats the action. Emma squirms above her. Regina smiles around the nipple. “Patience dear.” She bites the tender flesh sharply and Emma cries out above her. 

She pushes against Emma’s bottom until the blonde gets the message and scrambles upwards until her knees are resting on either side of Regina’s head. Hovering her sex above her wife’s face for a moment she groans as Regina takes her first slow swipe over wet flesh. Her hands shoot out to catch her as her body tumbles forward. It’s really been far too long and Emma is as sensitive as the first time they made love. 

She tries to hold out but Regina’s tongue is talented and knows what buttons to push, and soon it’s too much, too much, too much and Emma cries out, forgetting to muffle the sound. But unlike the house in Storybrooke, these walls are made of thick stone and no-one will hear her.

Emma’s body tries to slump down but Regina’s hands steady her hips and her tongue continues its course. Gentler now, because after that quick, hard orgasm Emma is still twitching above her. 

She licks up and down, then in gentle circles, lapping at the musky wetness there. And when Emma starts grunting steadily again she tightens her tongue muscles as much as she can and pushes into Emma. The blonde grinds down on her face and rides along until her hand finds Regina’s hair and holds tight. 

It takes longer this time , but when the tingles start down her spine Emma stiffens, and it may seem cliché, but she sees stars. Actual lights popping behind her eyelids. 

This time Regina lets her down to the mattress. Emma’s chest heaves from the effort of pulling in oxygen and Regina watches her breasts move with intent eyes. She would have laughed in their face, in the old days, when someone would have suggested she likes women, and that her favorite asset would be breasts. Well Emma’s breasts mostly. 

Emma cracks one eye open and watches her wife’s eyes gleam with lust. She licks her lips and rolls over on her side. “You’ll wear them out if you keep looking at them like that.” She grins. 

“Nonsense.” She tweaks a pink nipple between two fingers and leans forward to kiss Emma. 

The kiss starts out slow but soon Emma rolls Regina under her and the kiss turns from light and teasing to hot and messy. She trails her lips down Regina’s neck, down between her breasts, where she lingers and kisses both nipples in turn. Regina moans and her hands bury themselves in the bedding. Her toes curl and she brings her legs up until Emma lies firmly between them. 

Emma lets her hand wander down between then and she lets out a moan herself when she feels the warm wetness between Regina’s thighs. Her fingers slide down between drenched folds,wrangling a deep groan from the brunette’s lips. 

She slides her fingers in deep and then slowly, slowly drags them back out. Regina whines and pushes her hips up, desperately trying to get more of the sensation. Emma grins around the nipple she has in her mouth and parrots her wife’s earlier comment back to her. 

“Patience dear.” She even mimics the seductive drawl. 

“Please,” Regina gasps, her fingers grip Emma’s bicep and she squeezes. She loves how muscular the blonde is. In Storybrooke she already worked out regularly, but the sword swinging and long hours on the horses have toned Emma’s muscles even more. 

Feeling the hard muscle under her hand heightens her arousal and Emma is keenly aware of it.   
The former sheriff speeds up her motions and pushes in more firmly, corkscrewing her fingers on the way out. 

Regina’s nails bite into her upper arm and sweat starts to form on her back. But all Emma really sees is the face of her wife, she’s biting her lip on and off, a clear sign of her oncoming orgasm. And sure enough after just a few more thrusts and a roughly whispered “Come for me.” Regina does just that.


	8. Chapter 8

“I always hoped we could find a way to have a boy,” Regina confesses. She blows into the little prince’s face.

He squirms and giggles. She does it again. She spent hours like this with Henry, finding out all the little things that would make him laugh. She smiles fondly at the memory, the corners of her mouth turning up and her eyes twinkling.

Snow regards her former step-mother. The pure happiness. Who knew the key to Regina’s happiness was her own daughter? Who knew that Regina was a natural born mother? A small pang of regret laces her heart.

She would have had this. A house filled with children and love. With Daniel. If Snow hadn’t interfered. She recognises that now, even if she still thinks that Regina couldn’t, shouldn’t, blame the child Cora manipulated so effortlessly.

Snow looks up from the necklace of daisies she is making. “A boy?” She asks.

“For Emma,” Regina settles the child into her arms, gently rocking it. “And Henry of course. But mostly Emma. She loves the girls, but in her heart she is a boy’s mother.” Regina smiles, “She still can’t properly braid to save her life.” Both women chuckle at the truthfulness of that statement.

Marie’s squeals carry on the wind over the meadow. She’s chasing butterflies again, her dress rucked up and tucked into her waistband so the dress doesn’t hinder her when running.

“I suppose Marie is at least three quarters boy,” Regina ponders, her lips pursed in amusement.

Snow snorts, the sound very un-ladylike. “Marie,” she says, “Is exactly what I imagine Emma would have been like, would she have grown up here.” And for a moment a sharp pang pierces her heart. She looks down at her son, relaxed in Regina’s arms. She is swinging her arms absentmindedly. Like a reflex. Snow supposes that after raising six children something as mundane as rocking a baby to sleep becomes second nature to a mother, but for her it’s all new.

And so very frightening. She messed up with Emma, even if it was to give them all their best shot. The girl grew up lonely and unwanted. And so, Snow feels like she has to be a perfect mother to her little boy. But nothing seems to come as smoothly to her as it does for Regina.

And even if she wants to resent the other woman for that, she finds that she can’t, not even a little bit. Not when she remembers the long road they’ve traveled together; paved with hardship, and heartbreak on both sides.

“I think Emma secretly encourages that girl’s behaviour,” Snow says.

Regina eyes her step-daughter turned mother-in law sceptically. “There is nothing secretly going on about that,” she says while rolling her eyes. “She gave her that wooden sword she’s been swinging all afternoon just yesterday. And who do you think put all those trousers and boots in her closet? I’m never getting a proper dress on that girl again in my lifetime.”

Regina laughs at Snow’s horrified expression. “You have five granddaughters to doll up Snow, let this one be,” Regina says gently.

Snow huffs. “But why does it have to be the one you named after me?”

“Karma.” Regina smirks at Snow’s horrified expression. “You can pretend all day you are the picture-perfect Disney princess. But we both know you secretly loved traipsing in the woods all day. Emma didn’t get her sense of adventure from her shepherd father dear.”

Snow huffs again, but she doesn’t deny the accusation. Instead she continues on the earlier thread of conversation. “Well, I, for one, think it’s best you never had another boy. He’d be spoiled rotten.”

“Like you are spoiling him?” Regina smirks, looking pointedly at the baby in her arms.

Snow has the grace to blush. “It’s not like it’s possible anyway. There is no abundance of true love magic here, like there was in Storybrooke. It’s not like you two could have another baby.”

When Regina says nothing, but stares at the small fingers wrapped around her forefinger instead, Snow halts in her rambling and stammers, “I… I mean can you?” her eyebrows raised high. Regina chuckles, “Yes dear, I imagine we can. I can still access that kind of magic, I just choose not to.” Her hand cradles the prince’s head and she coos at him, earning a large smile from the infant.

Then she sighs, “Just not a boy. We still are two women.” Her eyes drift to her daughters playing in the field again. “And I believe Emma is quite done with having children.”

Snow puts a hand on Regina’s knee. “Well, I think that Emma may never have imagined such a large family, but she’s happy Regina. Anyone can see that.” She gives a little squeeze with her hand. The fact that she is able to do so and not lose the appendage is a show of how far the two women have come. “Maybe if you talked about it.” She adds quickly.

But Regina shakes her head gently, careful not to jostle the little prince in her arms.

“We should count the blessings we have Snow, and not be greedy.” She moves the boy into his mother’s arms and moves to stand. Calling out to her daughters to follow, she retreats into the castle, a twin on each hip and Marie trailing behind, swinging the toy sword from left to right fighting imaginary enemies.


	9. Chapter 9

“I want it to be you,” Emma whispers. Her fingers trail lightly up and down over Regina’s arm.

Regina tenses. It’s a sore subject for them. It’s a discussion they’ve had before and it didn’t end well.

The girls are growing up. Henry is already a man by the law of this land. He has his eyes set on traveling the realm. And Regina knows it won’t be long before the feeling will become too strong to resist.

Emma is preemptively suffering from empty nest syndrome. With just one child on the verge of leaving, Regina wonders what will happen when the girls come of age. While Regina is not averse to adding another child to their family, she is averse to Emma’s suggestion of who should carry it. She won’t really say why and the blonde just keeps pushing.

“I can’t.” Regina chokes out after a long tense silence. Emma’s fingers stop their trajectory, her hand grabs Regina’s bicep and she gives a light squeeze.

“You don’t know that.” Emma says. They assumed that Emma was always the one to become pregnant because her body was like a sponge for true love’s magic. But it’s just that, an assumption. They’ve never delved into it any deeper and Regina has never encouraged another opinion.

But what Emma doesn’t know, the reason she never had a child on her own, she is infertile.  
Years of marriage to the king had never resulted in a pregnancy. And after, when Regina had invited men into her bed for the sake of pleasure, even then none of them had gifted her with a child.

She had been so very lonely. And the men had been plentiful for a while. And for a time she had fooled herself into thinking the king was too old to father a child. But as the list of men grew and her womb stayed still, Regina finally faced the truth. It was her.

A tear slides down Regina’s cheek before she wipes it away.

“I do Emma. I can’t have children.” Regina’s voice shakes as she stutters out the words. “In the enchanted forest I couldn’t conceive. I’ve tried.” Tears are running down her face now and Regina doesn’t bother wiping them away anymore. “Oh I’ve tried, and tried. But the truth is, I never conceived any of our children in Storybrooke because I’m barren.”

Emma is silent behind her. The hand on her arm moves to her waist and Emma pulls her closer.  
She lets her cry until finally Regina falls asleep from exhaustion and then vows to find a way.

**

“There is a tribe in the north, some sort of trolls. Trolls!” Emma exclaims. Her eyes wide with wonder. “I mean I know this is the land of fairy tales, and really, nothing should shock me anymore. But rock trolls? Anyway, it’s said they can remove any illness caused by a curse.” She hold up her hand to stop Regina’s oncoming protest.

“I know you don’t think this has a magical origin, but what if it does? Would you really pass up the chance to find out? The blonde plops down on the bed and proceeds to drag off her boots. Regina looks at the muddy prints leading from the door to the bed with a scowl. Boots off, Emma reaches for the baby in Regina’s arms. One of the twins. Isabelle is a restless sleeper. She’s usually up at the oddest of hours. Emma suspect it’s because she had spent so many night awake while she was pregnant.

Cradling the infant in her arms and rocking her softly she turns to her wife again. “It’s a short journey. A few days. And if this isn’t it. I swear I’ll never bother you about this again.” Emma crosses her heart with the hand that’s not currently holding her daughter steady.

“Fine.” Regina takes Emma’s charge and cradles the now sleeping child to her shoulder. “But this is the last thing Emma. Really the last thing. No more potions, no more fairy dust and wishes. No more obscure doctors. I can’t take it anymore Emma. I know you want to make this right, but I’m tired. I have five beautiful daughters. It’s enough.”

“Allright” the blonde says. “This is the last thing. Promise.”

**

The air is cold around them. It’s the deep of winter and snow drifts around them.

“It’s not far now.” Their guide, a young stocky woodsman, says. His face is half buried behind his thick scarf, muffling his words. He’s been chatty all the way to the foot of the mountain, where Regina grew tired of this elaborate tour guiding and sent him her best Evil Queen glare.

Emma is surprised he didn’t wet his pants right on the spot. She sure almost did whenever that glare was directed at her. She hasn’t really seen it since Storybrooke. The Queen seems more mellow here. The ritual seems to have done its healing well.

The path winds up and up, the trees slowly thinning until all there is left is the moss growing on the rocks littering the ground in the small even clearing they’ve entered.

Their guide dismounts and gestures for them to do the same.

Emma’s dismounting isn’t nearly as graceful as Regina’s, but at least she’s not falling flat on her ass anymore. Horse-riding is really the only form of reasonably fast transportation here. Well, besides flying on a broom. But somehow she suspects nobody would take kindly to that. Even if it would have been pretty cool.

She would have suggested just poofing to their destination but even Emma knows that’s a stupid plan. Neither of them have ever traveled to this mountain range before and without a clear idea of where to travel they could end up encased in the mountain side.

“Sooo.” Emma says when they are all down on the ground. Looking around she sees no sign of life, just a lot of moss grown rocks strewn about.

“We wait,” their guide says.

“For what?” Regina snaps. “There is clearly no one here.”

The bearded man chuckles. “Oh, they are here all right. You just need to know how to find them. They are pretty shy folk.”

He crouches down and touches one of the rocks. Tapping it gently with a finger.

Emma rolls her eyes. “Well he’s clearly bat-shit crazy.” She looks at Regina but the brunette has her head cocked in concentration.

Emma shoves her hands in her pocket and starts idly kicking against one of the smaller rocks. “Maybe you just need to knock a little harder,” she says to their guide. “They’re clearly not home.”

He looks up and his eyes widen in alarm. “No!” He shouts as he sees Emma kick the stone out of the dirt.

Emma looks up, startled by his angry tone. “What? It’s just a rock.”

But the woodsman is already turning the rock back in its original position. Great, a nature freak. Why didn’t she see this coming? She turns to find her wife and get the hell out of here, but Regina is crouched by one of the larger rocks, her hand buried in the moss that covers the surface. Her face carries that look of intense concentration it gets when she’s focusing in on a particularly hard spell.

“Regina?”

But the brunette holds up her hand to Emma. “There is something here. I can feel it. Very old magic.”

Emma watches with wide eyes as Regina lets out an undignified shriek and tumbles backwards in the dirt.

The rock she was touching shudders a few times and then unfolds into the strangest creature she’s seen.

Emma lets out a shriek of her own when the rocks surrounding her start to unroll too. All of them forming into the same small creatures.

They scrabble around a confused Regina, who blinks a few times and then laughs. “Trolls! Stone trolls.” She lets the creatures climb onto her legs until they are standing in her lap, peering into her eyes.

“I thought you were just a myth,” she says breathlessly.

“We like to keep it that way,” a gravelly voice says from behind Emma. An elderly troll is walking to them in a slow gait. “To keep away unwanted visitors.” He comes to a stop before Regina, and the smaller trolls that were in her lap quickly jump down and scurry away, but their little faces appear behind what Emma suspects is their parents’ backs.

The old troll leans on his cane, both of his hands folded under his chin. “But if young Abe here brought you, you must be good folk.”

The young man’s mouth forms a toothy smile from where he is seated. “They are. I believe their quest is genuine.”

“Well then,” the gnarly troll says, extending his hand to Regina. “Let’s see if we can help you.”

‘Hey!” Emma says. “How come you know it’s her? Maybe I’m the one that needs your help.”

“If it were you, you would have been the one to wake us.” He says without looking at her. Instead he raises his green eyebrows and waits for Regina to take his hands.

She stands up and takes both of his hands into hers. They feel warm, even though her mind tells her they shouldn’t.

The troll closes his eyes in concentration and a small tingle travels from Regina’s arms across her spine, to her toes. The creature hums a little and frowns, then he releases her hands.

“You were cursed.” He lays his hand across her stomach. “Here, you were cursed here. It’s a very powerful one. A very dark one. Something someone didn’t want you to know.”

“I...” Regina’s voice cracks. Her own hand flies to her stomach. “Cursed?” she chokes out.

“Can you fix it?” Emma asks. She has moved to Regina’s side and takes her hand in her own.  
The troll nods solemnly. “I will try.”

His hands move over Regina’s stomach in an intricate pattern and light blooms around them. Regina gasps and the energy turns a dark blue. Then the troll makes a strong pulling gesture and Regina slumps to the ground.

“Regina!” Emma sprints towards her and slides to her knees beside the unconscious woman and lifts her head into her lap gently. She glares at the troll now leaning on his staff contently.

“What did you do!” But just as she’s willing her magic to coagulate in the palm of her hand, Regina stirs.

Dark brown eyes opening slowly, but what has Emma abandoning her rage is the beatific smile on Regina’s face. It stretches from ear to ear, pearly whites showing. Her hand floats down to her stomach and she turns her head to the little troll still leaning on his cane.

”Thank you,” she croaks. The moss-covered creature inclines his head and returns the smile with one of his own.

Emma’s still reeling from so many emotions in such a short span of time when Regina pats her hand and stands up, brushing some of the moss gathered on her skirt off.

"Thats it?" Emma asks wide eyed.

The troll sends her an amused smile. "That's it. Now off you go." He waves his hands in the direction of their waiting horses.

It’s when they are gathered by their horses, Emma and their guide already seated and ready to go when Regina is approached by the Troll elder. He pushes a small gem into her hand. She looks at it curiously. It glows a deep forest green, slowly pulsating in her hand, like a heartbeat.

“When I was healing you, I looked into your heart. Not intentionally.”He adds when Regina’s eyebrows raise high.

“It is a byproduct of the healing. In your heart, I found another great desire. This gem will help you realize that very thing. If it is what you truly desire.” His hand closes over her own and the gem, trapping it in a firm grip.

“Drop this into water and drink from it. It will transform the drinker’s essence into its opposite for a few hours. Then, you will have your baby.”

Regina inclines her head. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

The little man laughs and shrugs. “It was a gift. Both of them. It is a reward in itself to remove such a foul curse from the world. And maybe, one day, when the need arises we might call upon our new friends.”

Regina smiles. “If such a day ever comes, these friends will be there.”

With their final goodbyes said, she mounts her own horse and they start the long journey home.

When Regina looks over her shoulder all she sees is a large opening littered with rocks. A smile paints her lips alls the way home.


	10. Epilogue

“So this is where you are hiding.” David regards his daughter with curiosity. She’s leaned against one of the high marble pillars, looking down at the servants bustling around. The decorations are coming along nicely. The room is filled with banners and flowers, all in the colors of their combined houses. White and purple. On the left of the raised dais is a banner with a stylized white swan, outlined in black on a white background. Her fingers play with the heavy gold ring bearing the same symbol on her finger. Her sigil.

On the right of the stage is another banner, this one a black apple tree on a purple backdrop. Regina’s sigil. She abandoned her old one when they travelled here from Storybrooke. A new sigil for a new beginning.

“I’m not hiding,” She says. “I’m just...” She breathes in deeply, and then exhales slowly. “Taking a breather.”

“Ah” David says chuckling. “I know that feeling.” The young prince is a handful. There is much of Snow in his son. He’s feisty and wilful and every inch the spoiled prince.

David admires his daughter. He always has, her quiet strength. But now that he has a son of his own he can’t imagine how busy it must be with six… seven children. Even if one is technically an adult now.

Emma scuffs her boot along the marble. “Yeah. It’s hectic back there.” She moves her head in the general direction of the wing her family inhabits.

It’s easier than in Storybrooke. With an entire palace staff to help them. But Emma still gets swamped from time to time. Even with all the nurses and maids. Perhaps because of them. They all report back to her and Regina. 

On top of that she has responsibilities as a princess of the realm. Even though she’s not the crown princess, in fact she’s only third in line. A fact of her own making. Snow and David are near to her own age, and by the time they would abdicate she wouldn’t be in a position to rule either. Her brother is a much wiser choice for the throne. And after him, Henry. He is old enough to be prince regent in his nephew’s stead should it come to that. His education has already started and Snow revels in teaching him as much as she can about ruling, while David continues his sword lessons. After all, when diplomatic talk falls short, some matters can only be resolved with the strength of a kingdom’s army. 

Still, Emma has duties. She has to make appearances in her parents’ stead. She is on several councils. Head of the palace guard. And is sent on diplomatic missions regularly. Regina helps her with that as much as she can, but the other woman prefers to be in the background. She says being a mother of seven is enough of a job, and Emma agrees wholeheartedly. 

A smile forms on her lips when she thinks of her family. Today is the first name day of her son.  
Her youngest son. After their adventure with the trolls they used the gem gifted to them. One wonderful night, nine months of anticipation, and at last they welcomed the last member to their family. A son. Carried by Regina, who promptly swore it was the last child she ever carried. 

Emma had smiled down at her dishevelled wife, who was looking down in wonder at the little boy in her arms, her fingers gently tracing the contours of his face.

“Of course dear.”

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first journey into plot, and a fic longer than 5.000 words. And let me tell you, it's been an adventure. 
> 
> I'd like to use this space to thank my wonderful Beta's: Jen, for laying the groundwork. And Leah for being a champ and helping me out with the deadline in sight. You're the best!
> 
> And finally Kayryn for the amazing art that acompanies this fic. Check it out folks!


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